


Smother

by matelotage



Series: What to Expect When ( You've Failed Your Sidekicks ) [2]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Batfamily Feels, Gen, Joker Junior - Freeform, post return of the joker, second installment of this weird YJ/Return of the Joker mashup thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-07 13:17:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11624331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matelotage/pseuds/matelotage
Summary: Sure, he'd been rescued, but maybe it'd been too late.





	Smother

_“Come on, Junior. Harles here slaved over the stove all day so you could have a nutritious dinner.”_  
  
_He eyes the disgusting mound of cake and ice cream with pretty pink frosting, the mere sight of it just making him more nauseous. He’s not stupid, he knows it’s laced with Joker venom._  
  
_They must realize this too, because the clown backhands him a moment later, wrenching the boy’s jaw open with a quick snap of his hand._  
  
_“Sweetie pie,” He cooes at Harley. “Go and fetch my briefcase. Junior here’s being awful naughty and needs to be punished.”_

_She brings the syringes, and the chemicals, and the knives._

_He screams until his throat is raw._

 

 

Tim startles awake with his heart in his throat, glancing towards the bedroom door where Dick’s just materialized.

It looks as though he'd just sprinted all the way up the stairs to get to him. Tim twists the sheets in his hands as the older man tentatively takes a step inside the room.

“Can you….” He can’t bring himself to ask.

“Yeah, Timmy, I’ll stay as long as you need.”

 

 

 

The first incident happens when Dick tries to coax him out of the house for some fresh air. The park seems like the appropriate place. It’s wide open and calm. And on a Sunday, the most intense thing they’re bound to run into is power-walking elderly ladies.

 

Except it isn’t.

 

The older of the two munches heartily on one of the sandwiches Alfred packed, smiling as Tim starts to dig into his pudding cup. It was a start.

They can’t say that the clown comes out of nowhere, but they’re not quite on the alert when it happens, either. The poor man isn’t to blame either, considering he’s just doing his job and trying to make kids laugh. The costumed character in question grins and squeaks his nose, all too suddenly up in Tim’s space. Before he can reach for his bag and ask the kid what kind of balloon animal he’d like, the young teen has already leapt off the park bench. “Please, please just leave me alone.” He wails, shaking like a leaf. The sun’s suddenly much too bright and he’s not sure he’s breathing anymore.

It comes as a surprise when he’s suddenly in the air, Nightwing having quite literally lifted him off his feet and removed him from the situation. Even leaned up against a tree and far away from the clown, he’s panicking.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, I promise. He won’t hurt you anymore, Timmy. I won’t let anybody hurt you.” Dick says softly, pulling his brother to his chest. “You gotta breathe a little slower. Breathe with me, okay? In and out, in and out…”

It takes a few tries, but after a few minutes of following his brother's instructions he’s sure his heart won’t be busting out through his rib cage anymore.

 

 

Later that night when he ventures out to get some water, he hears whispering further down the hallway. Tim remembers how to be silent when he’s trying to eavesdrop, but he’s surprised at who he sees. Jason’s perched in the windowsill, eyebrows knit together as he whispers tersely back and forth with Dick.

“You better be damn sure he’s dead, Dickie.”

“He is, Jay. Barbara and Bruce were there. Joker isn't coming back.”

Jason dips his head as he cards a hand through his hair, fingers catching in the whites of his bangs. It's like he still can't believe the news is true.

“How's the kid doing?”

Grayson looks like he's aged eight years from the question alone. “I'm not doing enough. I don't know _what_ to do. I feel like I'm making everything worse for him. The team keeps begging me to bring him over to Mt. Justice. They miss him, Jason. But what if he's not ready? I can't just throw him back out there.”

“Did you ask him what he wants to do?”

“What?”

“Did you ask him if he's feeling up for having visitors? Sounds like you're trying to make his mind up for him. Who knows? Maybe seeing the other rugrats will do him some good.”

“I just don't want him getting overwhelmed-----.”

“Yeah, well, I hear these kids have a half decent den mother, so I'm sure they'll keep Timmy _whelmed._ ”

He punctuates the last word with a gagging motion, just so Dick knows how much using his vernacular pains him.

 

He flashes a dazzling smile Jason's way in response.

 

“Keep me updated if anything changes, Dickie.” And the estranged son disappears out the window again.

 

 

Tim scurries back to his room before anyone can catch him eavesdropping.


End file.
